Region Spotlight: The North
This interview is part of a series of developer discussions that shares details on the upcoming collectible RPG Game of Thrones Beyond the Wall, to be released on iOS and Android later this year. This week we talked to the Game of Thrones Beyond the Wall Creative Team about two of the regions players can collect from in the game - the North and the Crownlands. How do the Seven Kingdoms factor into a game about the Night’s Watch? The player commands the Night’s Watch and they need recruits to do that. These recruits come from the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and even a few from the Free Cities of Essos. The player can also use their castle’s Maester to send ravens to these locations in search of unique knowledge that upgrades the abilities of their recruits. There are all sorts of interdependencies between the different regions of the world so there’s always something or someone to collect. Another aspect of collecting is something called Regional Affinity - each time a player sends a raven or recruiter to a region they earn points toward leveling up their affinity with that region. The higher a player’s Regional Affinity Level, the better their chances of getting the best recruits and items are. Higher levels of Regional Affinity are increasingly difficult to achieve, so in the later stages of the game players will need to make strategic choices about which regions they want to work toward maximizing their affinity in. The players fight with the recruits, but what do the players do with the scrolls and items they collect? These items are all used in recipes back at the player’s castle to craft a recruit’s gear, upgrade their abilities, or to research new improvements at the Library or Armory. There are hundreds of items used to fill a plethora of recipes, always giving players something to aspire to as they collect from the world. What makes the North a unique region to collect from? The North has had a fiercely independent character throughout Westerosi history. The old Kings of Winter were one of the few peoples to resist the invasion of the Andals and at various times they have even had a King in the North, unlike most of the other kingdoms of Westeros. The North also has a special connection with the ancient magic of the weirwoods and the Children of the Forest. In game terms, this means that the recruits and items from the North like Champion of Winter and Bear Island Brawler are defense and health focused with clear synergies between other Northern units. What makes the Crownlands a unique region to collect from? The Crownlands has been the seat of power for the Seven Kingdoms since the founding of King’s Landing during Aegon the Conqueror’s conquest of Westeros. Beyond the Wall is set in a time where the Targaryens still wear the crown, so the recruits can include anything from a highborn Dragon Knight or the arcane Red Keep Alchemist to the scoundrels and cutthroats of Blackwater and Flea Bottom.